Transparency notification 

Brussels (Belgium), 23 May 2017 – 20:00 (CET) – regulated information

1.    Summary of the notification

Pursuant to Article 14 of the law of 2 May 2007 on the disclosure of large shareholdings, UCB SA/NV announces that it has received a transparency notification dated 18 May 2017 from The Capital Group Companies, Inc. (having its registered offices at 333 South Hope Street, 55th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071, USA).

The Capital Group Companies, Inc. has notified that, following an acquisition of UCB shares with voting rights by its affiliates, its shareholding in UCB SA has increased and has crossed the 10%-threshold on 16 May 2017.

On 16 May 2017, The Capital Group Companies, Inc. (taking into account the holding of its affiliates) owned 19 456 774 UCB shares with voting rights (versus 19 412 671 shares in its previous notification dated 6 March 2017), representing 10.00% of the total number of shares issued by the company (194 505 658) (versus 9.98% in the notification dated 6 March 2017).

2.    Content of the notification

The transparency notification dated 18 May 2017 includes the following information:

• Reason for the notification: Acquisition or disposal of voting securities or voting rights
• Notification by: A parent undertaking or a controlling person.
• Person subject to the notification requirement: The Capital Group Companies, Inc., 333 South Hope Street, 55th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90071 (USA).
• Date on which the threshold is crossed: 16 May 2017.
• Threshold crossed (in %): 10%.
• Denominator: 194 505 658.
• Notified details:

• Chain of controlled undertakings through which the holding is effectively held:

CGC is the parent company of Capital Research and Management Company ("CRMC"). CRMC is a U.S.-based investment management company that manages the American Funds family of mutual funds. CRMC manages equity assets for various investment companies through three divisions, Capital Research Global Investors, Capital International Investors and Capital World Investors. CRMC in turn is the parent company of Capital Group International, Inc. ("CGII"), which in turn is the parent company of five investment management companies (“CGII management companies”): Capital Guardian Trust Company (“CGTC”), Capital International, Inc. (“CIInc”), Capital International Limited (“CIL”), Capital International Sàrl (“CISA”) and Capital International K.K. (“CIKK”). The CGII management companies primarily serve as investment managers to institutional clients.

Neither CGC nor any of its affiliates own shares of UCB for its own account. Rather, the shares reported on this Notification are owned by accounts under the discretionary investment management of one or more of the investment management companies described above.

CRMC manages the American Funds family of mutual funds. CRMC (being the investment adviser to funds) has an interest in 19,456,774 shares (10.00% of total voting rights).

3.    Further information 

This press release and the detailed transparency notification are available on UCB SA/NV’s website via the following link.
An updated overview of the UCB SA/NV large shareholdings will be available on UCB SA/NV’s website via the following link.

Investor Relations
Antje Witte          
Investor Relations, UCB
T +32.2.559.94.14 antje.witte@ucb.com

Isabelle Ghellynck,
 Investor Relations, UCB
T+32.2.559.9588, isabelle.ghellynck@ucb.com 

About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7 500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 4.2 billion in 2016. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news